Sophia Hanna is one of four winners of a 2019 writing contest for young women hosted by The Philanthropist and the Girls Conference. This article also appears in French below.

At the Annual Girls’ Conference, hosted by Mount Saint Vincent University and the Alexa McDonough Institute for Women, Gender, and Social Justice, I interactively learned through both group discussions and physical group activities what it means to be a girl in today’s world. During the various workshops throughout the day, I enjoyed myself and acquired the skills and knowledge necessary for my future as a woman. The conference got me thinking about our roles as women in the workforce. I wondered about things like: How many female engineers are there in Canada? How many women are scientists? Or pilots?

I love exploring new opportunities that can help me decide what I want to do with my future. The Girls’ Conference exposes participants to all sorts of opportunities that are open to us. We had the chance to talk to women in the workforce who have a great deal of job experience. For example, we discussed some of the roles of working at a bank, and I realized what it takes to be a full-time employee. It means you have a bunch of responsibilities on your shoulders every day, especially when you are working with something as important as money.

I saw how important it is to know how to manage the stress that comes with day-to-day life. Otherwise, you can’t stay focused on your job or matters in your personal life. I also learned that, to find your passion, or even what you like to do in your spare time, you have to try new things. By doing that, you become more familiar with lots of different situations and you start to see what you like, as well as what you don’t like.

There are so many amazing women here in Canada. At the conference, we were lucky to hear a few words from two of our country’s top female role models: Astronaut Julie Payette and Sophie Trudeau, the prime minister’s wife who is also an ambassador for Plan Canada, supporting women’s rights. Both delivered encouraging and inspiring messages to the girls in the room, telling them to persevere and push through challenges. I think they really had a positive impact on the audience. So did Mam-Yassin Sarr, from the Starfish International club, who explained the importance of education and provided some good life lessons, such as how to professionally present yourself when looking for a job, and how to be strong and independent. I think these women are fantastic role models for girls because they pushed us to do our best and achieve our goals.

At the end of my eye-opening day at Mount Saint Vincent University, I felt enlightened and educated about something that is very common in my everyday life: girls. I left excited to apply my new knowledge to everything I do, and I was even willing to try new sports that intrigued me when they were introduced during the day. A workshop dedicated to power lifting really spiked an interest for me. I definitely want to go back to the Girls’ Conference next year. I’m already looking forward to what that day has in store.